The Rising Staircase
by yvonnemouto
Summary: Private Eye Kagome is trying to solve a mystery in where there is one potential killer and three victims whom were all carrying the same thing when they died- A picture of a rising staircase! (Title thanks to Bahku)
1. Another Case

Disclaimer: Do I own Inuyasha? . . .According to my sources, apparently I don't.  
  
Author's Note:  
  
Yvonne: Fwee! My first ficcie! [bows] Now you may applaude!  
  
[crickets chirping]  
  
Bakhu (my best friend): [snort] No one is applauding, stupid!  
  
Yvonne: [sweatdrops] I'm being SARCASTIC, idiot!  
  
Bakhu: Isn't it strange that our friendship is made out of insults?  
  
Yvonne: Well, isn't that obvious?  
  
Crickets: [chirp chirp]  
  
Yvonne: Sorry, but I have to make alot of changes to the series to make it all fit with the plot. It's the modern age now, there is no Shikon no Tama (sorry!), Inuyasha/Kagome, Miroku/Sango, Inuyasha still has a family and Sesshoumaru is his *brotherly* brother, not the evil, twisted mutant (sorry Sesshoumaru bashers!), Kikyou does not exsist (yeah!), and let me make this clear - Inuyasha still IS a hanyou, but it's NOT the feudual age. He does not have all his superhuman abilities and all, but he still can fight, with a sword. But NOT the Tetsusaiga (you'll see later!). Miroku doesn't have his hellhole, and Sango's boomerang doen't appear throughout the story.  
  
Bakhu: That's alot of changes you made. . .  
  
Yvonne: Well SOR-RY! Now, let's start the fic!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kagome had a bad day. She flunked a big test, got in a huge argument with her friend, lost a form her parents were suppose to sign for an upcoming feildtrip ("Otherwise you shall have to stay in class doing work, Miss Higurashi."), forgot her lunch money and gym uniform, had her locker broken into (someone stole her small magnetic mirror), tripped over the top sted when she went up to the podium to give her speech, and missed the bus. Things weren't exactly looking better.  
  
She entered the shrine, went into the kitchen, and got a glass of milk. Plopping herself down into a seat, she glanced at her boyfriend from the rim of her glass. He was flicking idly through a magazine without much enthusiasm, and didn't look up as she entered.   
  
Practically throwing her backpack to the floor, Kagome watched Inuyasha from the corner of her eye as she began unloading a mound of homework.  
  
"What are you looking at?"  
  
Kagome smiled. She had gotten his attention.  
  
"You, silly. What does it look like?"  
  
Inuyasha frowned. "I can't really look, seeing as I'm staring at this magazine."  
  
Kagome giggled. Maybe things WOULD get better. Light was starting to shine on her gloomy day.  
  
Then she glanced down at a math worksheet she had to complete.  
  
"Find the tangent of a circumference of a circle with a radius of 4.683 divided by the area of a triangle with an perimeter of 17.2087% square rooted twice? What the hell is that suppose to mean?"  
  
Forget shining light. The gloom was here again.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
An hour later of rubbing temples, glaring at worksheets and workbooks, doing outragious calculations, reading and rereading passages, and throwing homework to the floor, Kagome finally struggled through. "Done?" Inuyasha said, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes," Kagome said bitterly. "By the way, what are you reading?"  
  
"Shonen Jump," Inu said without interest. "Last week's."  
  
"Oh," Kag muttered. Inuyasha loved Shonen Jump, but Kagome could only afford the monthly delivery ones. Weekly subscribtion didn't get along too well with her budget. It was a week ago that Inu had discovered the new issue, and devoured it almost instantly, tossed it to one side, and begged for more.  
  
"C'mon, Inu. Let's go to my room."  
  
"Fine with me. . . "   
  
But the moment Kag's foot touched the hall outside the kitchen, the phone rang, making Kag jump about a foot into the air.  
  
Inuyasha's hand was about to reach the receiver, when Kagome snatched it out of his hand. "Gimme that," she said. "Hello, this is the Higurashi residence. Kagome speaking."  
  
"Kagome?" buzzed the voice at the other end. "This is detective Kouga. We've got another case. . . A serial killer has sniped off three people. One right here in Tokyo, one in Kawasaki and another in Funabashi. All three victims seem to have a very strange connection. . . We need you at headquarters as soon as possible. Bring that Inuyasha guy along if you want, or that other girl and boy. I don't care, just please hurry!"  
  
"Okay, sir. I'm on my way." Then Kagome slammed down the receiver, picked it up again, and began dialing another number.  
  
If you must know, Kagome is a Private Eye detective. She was one of the best in the academy. The elite. And only the elite make it as Private Eyes. Her friend Sango was another detective, but she was an amatuer. She had just started the academy.  
  
And then, a block away, in Sango's living room, the phone rang.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
BRRRRRRRRRRRRING!!!  
  
Sango was reclined on the couch, sketching a bowl of fruit.  
  
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRING!!!  
  
She frowned at the phone, and went to pick it up before the third 'BRRRRRRRRRRRING!!!'.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey, Sango! How are ya?"  
  
"Oh, hi Kagome! I'm doing great!"  
  
"Listen, I've got another case. Will you come along with me and Inuyasha? Please?" There was a definite note of urgency in her voice. Sango looked back resentfully at the bowl of fruit, and then said, "Ummmm."  
  
"C'mon, hurry! I won't take 'Ummmm' as an answer, you know that!"  
  
"Oh, all right. See you at the headquarters then. Bye."  
  
"Great! Thanks a bunch! Bye, Sango," Kagome said, her voice falsely cheery again.  
  
And the line went dead.  
  
Sango hung up, the desicion still floating vaguely in her mind. "Miroku!" she called, trundling up the stairs.  
  
Miroku (AKA Sango's boyfriend) was lying in Sango's bed, channel surfing with the remote control. "Hey," he said. "Are you done with your still life yet? It's been-" (he checked his watch) "-30 minutes."  
  
"I don't care how long it takes," Sango said, throwing open her closet doors and putting up her jacket. She observed her reflection in the wall mirror rather critically, smoothing out her hair and the creases in her flares. "And no, I'm not done. We've got a case, Miroku. Kagome didn't give me the details. . . We were just suppose to meet her at the headquarters."  
  
By then Miroku's interest had perked. "Really?" He turned the TV off and began down the stairs.  
  
Sango checked the mirror one last time and then raced down after him, panting. He was already at the front door when she got downstairs.  
  
"Really, Miroku." She glared at him icily. "We've got alot of better things to do besides running amuck in the city trying to solve a mystery. But Kagome's my friend, and that's what friends are for."  
  
"Running amuck in the city trying to solve a mystery, eh?" Miroku threw back his head to glance at the clear blue sky. "We'd better hurry, Sango. Don't want Kag and Inu fretting there dear heads off when we're late. Come on, I'll get a Taxi for us."  
  
He stuck his thumb out in the road. When a yellow cab approached, he shouted, "Taxi! Oh, Taxi!"  
  
The taxi stopping in front of him. He opened the door and Sango got in first, then Miroku. "My name is Hojo," the Taxi driver said. He was a young-looking man with sandy brown hair and broad shoulders. "Where to, sir?"  
  
"Eh? Oh, um. . . To the detective headquarters, please."  
  
"All right then, sir," Hojo said, polite as ever.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The cab ride was relatively short. "How much will that be, mister Hojo?" Sango asked as they got out.  
  
"Hmmm. . . Let's see. 350 yen, please."  
  
"Okay, then," Sango said, fishing the amount from her purse. "And there's an extra ten yen in there as your tip. Thank you mister Hojo. Thank you."  
  
"Uh, have a nice day!" Miroku added awkwardly.  
  
"Well, here we are," Sango said, looking up a towering white building. "The detective headquarters."  
  
"Right," said Miroku. "Here to solve another case."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Yvonne: There! All done! For those who don't know, 350 yen is not very much, compared to US dollars and such.  
  
Bakhu: . . .Where is Kawasaki and Funabashi?  
  
Yvonne: Glad you brought that up! There are both neighboring cities to Tokyo. There all very close together. . . only about 10 miles apart.  
  
Bakhu: Well, that works.  
  
Yvonne: And sorry about the short chapter! I'll try to update as soon as possible! [bows]  
  
Bakhu: Well at least this is getting interesting!   
  
Yvonne: Really? Thanks! [hugs Bakhu]  
  
Bakhu: MMMMMMMPH!! [gags]  
  
Yvonne: And remember to R&R, people! Until the next chapter, bye for now! [waves]  
  
Bakhu: MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMPPHHHHHHHH!!!!!! 


	2. Connections

Disclaimer: Well, nothing has changed so far! Not the title, not the plot, not the characters, and definetly not the disclaimer ^_^  
  
Author's Note:  
  
Yvonne: Hullo everybody! So glad to get reviews! n_n Special thanks to reviewers Deadly Tears, Amanda, and Moon-Neko-Princess for being the first three to review! [hugs] And Moon-Neko-Princess, your Halloween story was adorable!  
  
Bakhu: -_-;; I wanted to review first but. . . [rolls eyes] You know, I'm grounded.  
  
Yvonne: Yeah yeah, I know. [grumbles]  
  
Bakhu: [sighs] Maybe some other day. . .  
  
Yvonne: Well, what are we waiting for? Let's roll!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kagome paced the floor of the lobby nervously. "Grrr!" she said, tugging at her ebony hair. "Where could they be? What if they're lost?"  
  
"Nah," Inuyasha said, glaring at the welcome girl. For some reason, she seemed familiar to him. . . She was very pretty, with long, ebony hair, blue eyes, and milky-white skin. A crystal-like jewel hung around her neck, catching the light on it's pink surface, which almonst seemed to glow. She smiled softly at him, looking no older than 16. And all of a sudden, an old childhood song popped into his mind.  
  
~Kumo azukari sono narabi  
  
Kishi nasu za asaito  
  
Niji kyoukou sono supaida  
  
Kyoki kahouni sore  
  
Midoridansei agensuto yori Niji  
  
Sakana okeru za chuuhan zenki Kyoki  
  
Niji tame sono touzainanboku  
  
Kishi juujika za fisshu  
  
Oyobi sakusei ato ookii amimono~  
  
The words were faint, but familiar. But it had been a long time since her heard that song. All the words seemed like a huge jumble to him, without any meaning.  
  
BANG!  
  
The lobby door had been thrown open violently. Panting, Sango and Miroku appeared. "Got lost in the headquarters," Sango puffed. "Now, what's this big case?"  
  
Detective Kouga stepped in. "Ah, Kagome!" he said. "Good thing you're here. This man right here appointed you. Naraku, this is Kagome. Kagome, meet Naraku."  
  
Kagome stiffened. This man was STRANGE. He had a long, pale face and strage, lifeless eyes. His hair was long, wavy, and unkept. He was wearing a bunch of jewelry and his thin lips were very white. They curled into a smile when he saw her. "Well, hello Miss Higurashi. I've heard many good things about you. Private eye, hm? I hope you will assist me in this crime. It's a terrible thing indeed, murder. Tsk, tsk, tsk. How very unfortunate."   
  
Inuyasha stiffened, too. The nerve of him! Tutting at Kagome when he barely knew her. Naraku's snakelike hair twisted as he turned to face Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku.  
  
"What, ho? Are these your friends? Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango, as I presume." Naraku gave a short laugh. "I'm good at these things," he said smugly.  
  
There was a stiffness in the air.  
  
"Um. . . Can you please explain the case, sir?" Kag said nervously.  
  
"As you wish," Naraku said, sitting down. "As you know, three murders were commited the last two nights. One in Kawasaki, another in Funabashi, and one right here in Tokyo. A man named Musou was killed in Kawasaki. An arrow went right through him. Here's a picture of him before he died."  
  
Naraku pushed a full-body shot of a man. He looked about 25, maybe younger. He looked alot like Naraku. . . But his face was rounder and not as pale, his eyes slightly red. His hair was dark and just as messy, but he wore a lot less jewelry.  
  
"Another murder was of a girl named Kanna. She died in Funabashi. Slashed right down the middle. . . Terrible thing to have happened. She looked young, but she was really around 18." Another picture, this time of a pearly white girl with twin flowers in her hair. Her face was even paler than Naraku's. She was wearing a pure white Kimono. The only thing that seemed alive on her were the flowers - Her eyes were like black, lifeless tunnels.  
  
"And the last was of a girl named Kagura. She was in her late teens when it happened. Someone strangled her to death, right here in Tokyo. Here," said Naraku.  
  
Another picture. This one was of a tall girl wearing a fancy Kimono. Her hair was black and put in a fancy bun. Her eyes were a bloodshot red.  
  
"Any clues, sir?" Kagome said.   
  
"Yes," said Naraku. "All three victims were members of a gang, called the Takaramono. They were all between 17 and 23, and they were all carrying a copy of a book when they died, which was opened to a certain page."  
  
"All three of them?" Kagome promted.  
  
"All three," confirmed Naraku. "Opened to a page with a picture of a Buddha statue. The book was the bestselling 'Mare Ken Tattoi Takaramono'."  
  
There was a sharp intake of breath from around the room. 'Takaramono' was part of the book title!  
  
Naraku droned on, unaware of the sudden stillness in the room. "And all three were carrying a picture. . . Of a rising staircase. I've got a copy here." He laid a piece of crumpled paper on the table. It was picture of a staircase going up, up, up. On the second step there was a picture of a man's head far to the right (still on the staircase, though), only it was green. In the middle was a picture of a big tree. On the left was a picture of a rainbow. Then, on the edge of the third step was a picture of a fish, splat in the middle. To the far right was a black mark that jutted a bit off the staircase, though it didn't look like it was suppose to be there, as if someone had did it on accident. On the edge of the fourth step, there was a rainbow on the left and a green face on the right again. Then in the middle of the 6th step was a flag. On the top edge of the seventh step was a spider, right in the middle.  
  
And that was it. Seven steps in all.  
  
"This is IT?" Kag said, tearing at her hair again. She had never ran into a puzzle like this before in all her cases. Usually they were riddles, which she was good at. But THIS? It was just a picture, some ridiculous picture that didn't make the least once of sense.   
  
Kagome glared at it. The picture glared back.  
  
"Umm, Naraku. . . ? May I borrow this picture? It's obviously a vital clue. . . If I - We, that is -" she motioned at her surrounding friends, "-solve it, it might as well unlock the mystery."  
  
"Excellent," Naraku said, steepling his spidery, pale fingers. "The sooner, the better, Kagome." Then he made a big fuss about the time and rose, saying, "Oh my goodness gracious, will you look at the time?! Really, I must be leaving now. . . " He glanced quickly at his Golden Rolex and added, "Oh, and Kagome, say you will think about the picture tonight? Don't loose it, either. It's very important. Bye." With that he was out the door.  
  
Silence enveloped the air.  
  
". . .W-w-well. . . " Sango said, clearing her throat loudly to break the ice. "He certainly was. . . A strange man."  
  
"Keh!" Inu barked, his golden eyes flashing. "What a bastard! Did you SEE the way he was talking?! Almost as if he KNEW all of us! Personally!"  
  
"Come ON!" Sango said, throwing back her head and laughing. "You know that's impossible!"  
  
Miroku looked at Sango. "Really? He seems kinda familiar to me. Well. . . You know, I have a weird feeling about this guy. . . I don't think it's safe to trust him. Do you guys get what I'm saying? He seems. . . Well, I can't really place my finger on it. Fishy? Yeah, I guess so. Fishy."  
  
Inuyasha glared at him. "Yeah, I know what you mean. . . "  
  
The welcome girl came up, smiling a dazzling smile, and said, "Would you guys like something to eat? Refreshment, perhaps? You all look pretty worn out."  
  
Inuyasha felt the song begin inside his head. His heart jerked uncertainly, as if it did not know what to think of this girl.  
  
"No, we've got to get home," Kag said, carefully pocketing the valuable scrap of paper. "But thanks anyways. Bye."  
  
The welcome girl smiled kindly as they left, the song still playing in Inu's mind. '. . .Niji kyoukou sono supaida, Kyoki kahouni sore, Midoridansei agensuto yori Niji, Sakana okeru za chuuhan zenki Kyoki. . . '  
  
They bunched together in one cab this time, quietly dicussing the case. Whispers were heard throughout the car, though none were very clear.  
  
". . .See the green face? Yeah, it's. . . "  
  
". . .The rainbow, too. . . "  
  
". . .It's just a spider, silly. . ."  
  
". . .Flags fly on poles. . ."  
  
". . .So?. . ."  
  
Kagome leaned against Inu, frowning slightly. "Inuyasha?" she said gently.  
  
"Hm?" he grunted back.  
  
"Don't you think it's all. . . Very weird?"  
  
"What's weird?"  
  
"Well. . . You know. All the strange. . . "  
  
Inuyasha waited for the last word to come out.  
  
". . .Connections?"  
  
He turned his back to her, thinking. She was right, but something else was bothinering him. Something that had nothing to do with the mystery. He was thinking about the welcome girl.  
  
Why did that accursed song come into his mind? He had not heard it for ages now. . . So why did he think of it? And why wouldn't it stop nagging him? And WHO was that girl? She seemed so lonely and sad in a way, even when she seemed so beautiful. . . Why did she remind him of an old children's nursery song? Why did his heart jerk like so. . . ?  
  
"Inuyasha?. . . Are you alright?" Kagome worried voice shattered his thoughts.  
  
"Hm? What? Oh, sorry. I kinda. . . Sapced out right there. What were you saying?"  
  
A small smile spread across Kag's young face. "Silly. I was just talking about connections. . . So, don't you think it's kind of weird?"  
  
"Yeah," Inu said, not really thinking about what he was saying. "Yeah, connections. . . "  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
And as the car left, the welcome girl emerged. 'Oh, have you forgotten me from all these years? Have you, Inuyasha?'  
  
She tossed back her sheet of black hair, her azure eyes flashing. She took from her pocket a little music box and twisted a key. A tinkling melody started, and she began singing softly.  
  
"Kumo azukari sono narabi  
  
Kishi nasu za asaito  
  
Niji kyoukou sono supaida  
  
Kyoki kahouni sore  
  
Midoridansei agensuto yori Niji  
  
Sakana okeru za chuuhan zenki Kyoki  
  
Niji tame sono touzainanboku  
  
Kishi juujika za fisshu  
  
Oyobi sakusei ato ookii amimono. . . "  
  
The melody began slowing down, until the few notes were heard, and the song finally stopped. The girl returned the music box to her pocket, but continued to hum the melody. She returned to the lobby, where one name was visible on her name plate, no last name was to be seen.   
  
And that one name was-  
  
Kikyou.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Yvonne: Story starting to get heated up! ^^ And sorry, I changed the plan a bit - Kikyou DOES exist, and for now, she's peaceful. It adds a more interesting toch to the story. Originally it was to be another girl, but I thought Kikyou played the part better, so. . . n_n  
  
Bakhu: And the lyrics and the book title?  
  
Yvonne: I made the lyrics up myself. For now, I won't release the translation, but I will later. (Can't wait till then!) And the book title, translated, is 'Rare and Valuable Treasures'. Yes, the gang name translated is 'Treasure(s)'.  
  
Bakhu: And please R&R for my best friend! [happy smile]  
  
Yvonne: All for now! Bai! 


	3. The Diamond

Disclaimer: Here is breaking news for you all - I DON'T OWN INUYASHA.  
  
Yvonne: [sweatdrops] No surprises there, I suppose!   
  
Authors Note:   
  
Yvonne: HOORAY! Bakhu finally got to review! [hugs Bakhu] And guys, I'm SO INCREDIBLY SORRY for taking SOOOOOOOOO long to update! FF.net is being evil and taking forever to load my chapters. . .   
  
Bakhu: Heh heh heh. . . I was sneaking on to review, though!  
  
Yvonne: -_- Bakhu you could have been grounded LONGER for that! You are so evil!  
  
Bakhu: 8) I am such a daredevil.  
  
Yvonne: You said it! And a big THANK YOU to all who reviewed, even if I'm not getting many! And - Oh yeah - If you are a Yu Yu Hakusho fan, then check out Bakhu's fic! I forgot the title, so I'll post it up later. . .  
  
Bakhu: Ready, set-  
  
Yvonne: Go!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It always helped Kagome to put up copies of riddles wherever she went, so she could think about it when she was on the go. She made huge, poster-sized ones to tack up in her room, regular-sized ones to keep in her binder, and little credit-card-sized ones to slip into her wallet and keep in her purse.  
  
The rising staircase was with her wherever she was. She thought about it when she showered, when she ate, and before she went to bed. Plus her dreams were filled with it. The puzzle was starting to become part of her life, in a way she didn't like. It disturbed her, and it made Mrs. Higurashi paranoid.  
  
"Kagome dear, you don't look too well. . . How are you feeling?" she asked one blustery afternoon. Kag was sitting at the kitchen table and, even though she was in a thick pink sweater, she was shivering so hard that her teeth were chattering.  
  
"Momma. . . I don't feel so good. . . "   
  
Her face was pale and her eyes were half-lidded with dark purply-black circles beneath them. Her hair was wild and unkept, her cheeks bony and hollow.  
  
Mrs. Higurashi felt her forehead.  
  
"Darling, you're burning up! Here, take my hand. . . We've got to call a doctor. . . "  
  
Mrs. Higurashi dropped her broom and took Kagome's trembling arm. She lead her up to her room and laid her down onto her bead. Covering her with a quilt, she whispered, "Don't worry dear, I've got you. . . Just hang on, you'll be okay."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Kagome woke to the sound of quiet talking.  
  
She was lying in her bead, Momma's heavy, handmade quilt thrust over her. She forced her eyelids open a tiny crack, and saw a potbellied man with gray hair growing on the sides of his head and out of his - Ick - Ears. He head nerdy glasses on and a HUGE nose!  
  
Her eyes went as round as scrambled eggs.  
  
"Hello, dear," the man said kindly. "I'm glad to see you awake. Ah. . . There have been a few people waiting for you to return to conciousness." He motioned toward the hall, saying "She's awake now, come in, come in. . . " And eight people entered the room.   
  
Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Momma, Souta, Grampa, Shippou (one of Souta's friends), and-  
  
"Naraku. . .?"  
  
"Kagome," Naraku said, his eyes shining with the deepest and utmost sincerity, "when I heard that you were sick, I immediatly rushed over. I'm so glad to see you awake. Now, if I may. . . I have to be on my way now."  
  
Naraku bowed and left the room.  
  
Inuyasha then quickly ducked down next to Kag's bed. "Kagome, are you alright? When I heard you were sick. . . " His voice trailed off, but he didn't need to say any more.  
  
"I'm fine now. . . Thanks for worrying about me. . . Inuyasha. . . You're the best. . . "  
  
Inuyasha nodded.  
  
"Now. . . " Kag began.  
  
". . .About Narkau. . . "  
  
". . .What was he doing. . . "  
  
". . .Here. . . ?"  
  
Sango bent down to her. "Kagome-chan, I don't know. He seemed pretty worried about you. Frankly, I think he really was." Inuyasha's eyebrows went up at this.  
  
"And your proof for that is. . . ?" he said triumphantly.  
  
"I don't have proof, and I don't need it to believe that Naraku was truly worried," she snapped back irritably.  
  
Nearby Miroku was listening to this conversation with ease. "Well, miss. . . " he said, approaching Mrs. Higurashi, "you look pretty starked. Would you like to bear my child?"  
  
Mrs. Higurashi looked pretty aghast.   
  
"I already HAVE a child, thank you very much," she said icily. "In fact, my child is KAGOME!"  
  
The perverted one cocked an eyebrow. Sango twitched.  
  
*SLLLLLLLAP!* went two hands at once.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
In a few weeks time, Kag was up and fit again.  
  
"Higurashi!" Hojo said cheerfully one day during lunch. "How are you?"  
  
"Feeling great, thanks!" she replied briskly, sitting down to have sushi with Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha. Inuyasha had pulled out a tiny bottle of clear liquid. "Sake, anyone?" he said mischeiviously. (AN: For those to don't know, sake is a Japanese rice wine, but it's not very alcoholic.)  
  
"Oooooooh, me!" everyone cried, scrabbling to get the rare wine.  
  
"Nuh-uh! None for you, all for me!" Inu said playfully, tucking the bottle into his pocket. "I think I'll make one of my teachers drunk. . . Maybe have them tap-dance for me!"  
  
Hojo gasped. "You wouldn't dare!" he said, truly frightened. 'Gods,' Kag thought to herself, 'he can be SO naiive at times, it's almost amusing!'  
  
"I'm just joking, Hojo-kun," Inuyasha said innocently. "Ever heard of a joke?"  
  
"Hmmmmm. . . I think so, when I was little."  
  
This remark caused everyone at the table to burst out laughing.  
  
"So then, Higurashi. . . " Hojo ventured, "would you like a date with me at the movies this Saturday?"  
  
Kagome was about to object, "No, I would not like a date with you," but she decided to manipulate his naiiveness to her advantage.  
  
"Uhhhh. . . I've got to go to the Galleria on Saturday. With Sango." She threw her friend a secretive wink. Sango winked back. "I'm sorry, Hojo. Perhaps some other time?"  
  
Hojo thought it over, taking his time to digest this information. "Perhaps some other time. . . Very well Higurashi. Next Saturday, perhaps?"  
  
"W-w-what?" Kag stuttered. "N-next Saturd-day?" 'C'mon Kag, think!' "U-u-ummmm. . . I'll have to see about that!"  
  
"Oh," Hojo said, looking crestfallen. "Very well. We'll see."  
  
Through it all, Inuyasha had sat, seething, grinding his teeth, his veins popping with jealousy and rage.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Say, isn't Hojo a cabdriver?" Sango said.  
  
"His dad is. Hojo was named after his dad. He's really Hojo Jr." Kagome answered. Inuyasha was still steaming. Sometimes he could be so stubborn.  
  
"That's the way men are," Sango had said commented when Kagome told her about Inuyasha's moody attitude that afternoon. Sango leaned back in her chair, tilting it so that her boot-clad feet were resting comfortably on the table - A normal thing to Kagome, though she didn't like the nauseous smell of sweaty feet. Sango laced her fingers behing her head and said, "So, how's that mystery going? Got anything from that picture?"  
  
Kagomed sighed, a picture of defeat. "No," she said solemnly. "I've gotten NOWHERE!" She laughed. "Can you believe it? I can! After all, it's only been - Like - Three days!" She grinned, flashing very white and even teeth.  
  
Sango sipped her slushie quietly. She was deep in thought, and had not replied to any of Kagome's questions.  
  
"Uhhhhh. . . Sango? You still in there?"  
  
Kag waved a hand in front of her friend's eyes.  
  
"Huh-? What? Oh, sorry. Um. . . I think I need to go to the bathroom. . . Is Inuyasha upstairs?"  
  
Kag frowned, then burst out laughing.  
  
"Hahahahaha-! Oh, Sango. . . Fine fine, go to the bathroom if you wish. . . Hahahaha-! Inu's upstairs. . . Hehehehehe. . . "  
  
Sango scowled. "I wasn't being THAT funny! Egads. . . " She turned and went upstairs, leaving Kagome to shake with tears of laughter pouring from her eyes.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Inuyasha was up in Kag's room. He left alot of his things there, so it didn't surprise Kagome much when she opened her closet and found Inu's leather jacket among all her colorful miniskirts.  
  
And Inuyasha did open her closet. And he did find his leather jacket, all neat and hung up. And it was among all her colorful miniskirts, not to mention sweaters and T-Shirts and tank tops and about a dozen school uniforms, each exactly the same as the next.  
  
He pulled his jacket out and swung it over himself. He felt it's familiar warmth and weight, and the scent of his lemon detergent, mixed with the scent of Kagome's Lily-Of-The-Valley perfume. His right hand automatically went into the right pocket of his coat and began searching for a little silk pouch. . .   
  
He felt it and pulled it up. It was very small and could have fit into his mouth. The bag was laced with golden thread and decorated with silk roses on a forest green background. Inuyasha held it up, letting it's glossy surface catch and reflect the late afternoon sunlight that was streaming though Kag's window at the moment. He admired it for a fleeting moment, then reached inside and pulled out what looked like a very small glass bead.  
  
He held it up the the light. It caught the gleaming rays of the sun and sparkled like a diamond - Which it was.  
  
This little diamond held so many precious memories. . . It could never afford to loose it. It was probably very valuable as well. He had never let anyone else touch it, much less see it. It was his own private diamond, and its origins were traced back to a time, seven years ago. . .  
  
BAM!   
  
"Hey Inuyasha, watcha up to?"  
  
Inu jumped a foot into the air, quickly stuffing the diamond into the pretty little pouch and hiding it in his jacket pocket. "Wha-wha-what?" he said, flustered.  
  
The door had just been thrown open, and Sango was standing there, chewing a large wad of gum.  
  
"Hey, it's just me, Sango. Errr. . . Are you okay?"  
  
Inuyasha was breathing heavily. He was gasping in short breaths. "Whoah, (huff huff) Sango! Don't ever (puff puff) do that (huff huff) again! (puff)"  
  
Sango stared. "Wha? What did I do? Did I scare you?"  
  
Inu growled. "What does it look like? Listen, Sango," he said, making a move to leave, "I've gotta go now. Tell Kagome that I'm leaving, okay?"  
  
"Fine, whatever. But are you sure that you're okay? You look like you've just ran a marathon. Is something on your mind?"  
  
"NO!" Inuyasha roared viciously. This time, it was Sango's turn to jump. "Hey, buddy, chill out, okay! Don't scare me like that! I was just concerned, you know! No need to get defensive. . . !" she said shrilly with a voice that had its pride unmistakably bent.  
  
Inuyasha said nothing and sauntered away, muttering under his breath angrily.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Grrrrrr! Just two more dammed problems and I'll be DONE!"  
  
Kagome was almost done with her extremly evil triginometry homework when the phone rang loudly. Startled, she dropped her pen but left it to get the the receiver.  
  
"Hello? Higurashi residence, Kagome speaking."  
  
The voice on the other end of the line said, "Kagome? Oh, good. I thought it might be your mom or something. This is Kouga. I need you to report back to headquarters tomorrow afternoon, 5:30 sharp. Apparently, we have been invited to Tokyo Inn. . . Well, I'll explain when you get here. Can you come?"  
  
"Erm," Kag said. "I think I can."  
  
"Great!" Kouga's voice was a bit cracked and disorted beacuse of the phone, but his relief could be heard clearly. "Bring that picture with you, okay? It might be important. And your other friends if you want. They've made reservations."  
  
"Okay, sir. I'll be there."   
  
Kagome hung up with a feeling of resentment. Deep down in the bowels of her stomach, something sensed that this wasn't right. Why, Tokyo Inn was one the grandest hotels in the city, and it cost a fortune just the watch flower-arranging there! So what was up with Kouga inviting a bunch of people there where it could cost him loads of pocket money?  
  
She turned around, sat down, and continued with her two "dammed" remaining triginometry problems, the uncertain feeling never leaving the pit of her stomach.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Yvonne: There! A chapter that was an extra TWO KB for you all! But I'll try to make them longer. . . .  
  
Bakhu: Keh! What do you know about KBs?  
  
Yvonne: ^^;;; Nothing whatsoever.  
  
Bakhu: I thought as much -_-''''''  
  
Yvonne: Well peoples, what do you do after reading an exceptionally good chapter?  
  
Bakhu: That's easy! You review!  
  
Yvonne: :( You bastard! That was for all my readers to answer! [tackles Bakhu] Oh yeah, and expect the next chapter to be late. Once again, I'm sorry for making you guys wait! :'( Semester exams coming up and my teachers are piling homeowork like crazy x_X And sorry if I'm taking Shippou out of the fic too much, but I just can't find a good place fore him. . . Sorry, Shippou-chan fans! 


	4. Blood Red Eyes

Disclaimer: [yawns] I'm writing this at 10:30 in the night so I really can't think up of a witty way to say "I don't own Inuyasha."  
  
Authors Note:  
  
Yvonne: Hehe. . . Prepare for a weird chapter! ^_^;;  
  
Bakhu: Well, you just had a sudden inspiration and then tackled your computer, huh?  
  
Yvonne: You are SO right! After chatting on AIM for 2 hours with about 6 people at once, I was hit by an inspiration that was saved until tonight ^^  
  
Bakhu: But of course she isn't going to tell you what her inspiration is! Psssst. . . It'll be in the story!  
  
Readers: [exhausted (is that how you spell it?) and groans]  
  
One Reader: Anyone got pies?  
  
Another Reader: Or a tomato?  
  
Yvonne: [gasps] You guys hate us THAT much? [does an oprah faint]  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was Saturday, a carefree day in which Sango was able to do whatever she wanted to. In this case, she decided to go on the internet and try to chat with her friends.  
  
She logged onto a chat service and found chatroom 371, also known as chatroom _t0ky0z g@ng_. She opened it up and entered her screen-username and the password (therisingstaircase). It took a few seconds, but after a bit the chatroom window popped up. Her eyes swung to the "Who's Here" box and she was releived to see all four screen-usernames there. Kago Me Chan (Kagome), inuyashaboi (Inuyasha), miroku SaMa (Miroku), and XsangoX, which was herself. A long string of words were unfurling in the "Text-Messages" box, but the most recent one was "Welcome, XsangoX. You have entered chatroom _t0ky0z g@ng_." Sango smiled to herself and watched the conversation before jumping in.  
  
Kago Me Chan: ya im thinkin bout it but its hard   
  
inuyashaboi: u should think faster  
  
Kago Me Chan: well SRY! u try thinkin 4 1ce!  
  
miroku SaMa: hey u 2 should keep it down  
  
inuyashaboi: hey look its sango  
  
Kago Me Chan: hi sango! come in n talk 2 us  
  
miroku SaMa: ya come on in  
  
Sango grinned. She had gotten their attention, which was what she wanted in the first place. She typed something in the "Enter Text-Message" box, then pressed enter. (AN: For those who don't understand Internet slang, i have included an un-internet slang version at the very end of this chapter.)  
  
XsangoX: hey u guys. kag, inu, u 2 shouldnt fite so much, bein boifriend n girlfriend. sumtimes its very amusin  
  
Sango's answer had quickly received alot of answers. Miroku agreed with Sango. Inuyasha was probably bristling right now, and Kagome was pouting indignantly.  
  
miroku SaMa: ya sangos gotta point  
  
inuyashaboi: WUT?! i DO NOT fite w/ kag!  
  
Kago Me Chan: so wut if were boif n girlf? we can still fite! ur not bein fair sango!  
  
miroku SaMa: u 2 should b on the same side  
  
inuyashaboi: we R! . . . in a way  
  
Kago Me Chan: we R! ur not bein fair either miroku. ur just sidin w/ sango!  
  
inuyashaboi: ya cuz shes ur girlf so ur sidin w/ her. EVIL MIROKU  
  
miroku SaMa: ill side w/ whoever i want 2, thank u very much!  
  
Sango sat in front of her computer, laughing silently. How silly her friends could be sometimes, it made her double over just to think about it! She rubbed her eyes a bit, then typed and pressed enter.  
  
XsangoX: hey u all break it up  
  
miroku SaMa: well finally u answered  
  
Kago Me Chan: wuzzup sango  
  
XsangoX: nothin much. how r u all?  
  
inuyashaboi: in a fite, as u can c  
  
XsangoX: lol dur stupid i noe THAT  
  
miroku SaMa: sango they were makin fun o me!  
  
XsangoX: ya but im not gonna do anythin about it. u deal w/ it urself  
  
Kago Me Chan: atta grl!   
  
inuyashaboi: lets just get back 2 the case  
  
miroku SaMa: uve gotta good idea 4 1ce  
  
XsangoX: ok. . . so kag have u found out anythin w/ the staircase?  
  
Kago Me Chan: sry no, its just way 2 hard  
  
inuyashaboi: aw u mean ur givin up?  
  
Kago Me Chan: no, it just means its very hard stupid  
  
inuyashaboi: w/e  
  
miroku SaMa: how bout u sango?  
  
XsangoX: ditto. were both stuck in the mud  
  
Kago Me Chan: well @ least were tryin unlike inu n miroku. . .  
  
inuyashaboi: hey dont blame us if were lay z  
  
miroku SaMa: hey im not a good thinker  
  
XsangoX: ya u r, u just dont noe it  
  
miroku SaMa: u noe that never occured 2 me  
  
Kago Me Chan: oops g2g every1. bai  
  
inuyashaboi: bai kag  
  
miroku SaMa: ok then bai  
  
XsangoX: c u round kag. bai. n i think im goin 2 so bai (AN: "Bai" is just their (and my!) way of spelling "bye".)  
  
Sango left the chatroom, so the only ones left were Inuyasha and Miroku, though they were likely to leave soon as well, with no other people to talk to besides the other, which was most likely to end up in a cyber-argument. Sango got offline and walked off, deep in thought. So far they were getting nowhere with their clues. Were they ever going to get anywhere. . . ?  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  
At 5:00, Sango was already preparing for the trip to Tokyo Inn. She was clad in a magenta shirt with a matching vest and a pair of demi flares, freshly ironed. Frantically whipping a brush through her messy hair, she applied her mascara, though it was thicker than usual and had smeared a tad, much to her dismay. Kagome had informed her this morning and she had agreed to accompany her to the Inn.  
  
"I think I'm ready I think I'm ready I think I'm ready. . . Okay, I'm not ready." She stood in front of the floor length mirror in her room, scowling at her reflection. "Hmmm. . . What will Kagome-chan think? Nah, she'll just say I look great, as always. . . What about Inuyasha? Umm. . . No. He's too overly-critical. And Miroku. . . ?"  
  
She paused a moment before laughing. "HAH! Miroku will just try to grope me!"   
  
" . . .Eww. . . "  
  
She winced at the dirty thought.  
  
Kohaku was just passing by when he spotted Sango, standing in front of her mirror. He paused in the doorway and whistled. "Oooooooh, Oneesan! Are you going anywhere? With anyone? With your Miroku? And what's with the pile of clothes on your bed, huh, Oneesan?" (AN: Oneesan means "big sister" in Japanese.)  
  
Sango threw a cap onto her head, posed in the mirror for a moment, then decided against it and threw the cap to the floor. "Kohaku, I'm going to Tokyo Inn. (More whistling.) It's for a case. And yeah, I'm going with Miroku (More whistling, AGAIN!), but also with Inuyasha and Kagome-chan. And. . . That- " (She pointed at the pile of clothes on her bed.) "-Was for when I couldn't decide what to wear. I'll clean it up later." And with that, Sango's attention was riveted back to shoes and hats. Kohaku rolled his eyes as he watched hat after hat and shoe after shoe get tossed aside dejectedly. 'Typical girl stuff,' he said with a mental snort, and left.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
At 5:15, A taxi had stopped just outside of Sango's house, next to the curb. Kagome, with a plastic comb holding back the ebony curled locks, loaded with gel that was framing her face, rolled down the window. "Hey, Sango-chan!" she hollered loudly enough to make the cab driver wince. "Are you done yet?"  
  
"I'm coming!" Sango said, avoiding Kagome's question. Minutes later, she stumbled out onto the sidewalk, her Japanese-style slippers tripping her up. At the same time, she was frantically buttoning a leather jacket, her fingers fumbling nervously. "Dammed buttons," she muttered angrily as she entered the cab. "Fuckin' dammed buttons. . . "  
  
"Here," Kagome said as Sango climbed into the car. "Let me help you with those. . . " Kag's quick, nimble fingers had Sango's coat buttoned in no time.  
  
"Phew, thanks," Sango moaned gratefully. "I had a hard time with this jacket. . . And these slippers, too!" She pointed an accusing finger at the flip-flops on her feet. They had a floral pattern of sakura (cherry-blossoms) woven onto them. "Oh!" Kagome squealed. "They're just soooooo CUTE!"   
  
"Yeah, whatever," Sango murmured. "So- Who are we picking up next?"  
  
"Miroku," said a cold, masculine voice from up front.  
  
"Ummmmm. . . Kagome-chan, who was that?" Sango wondered aloud, voicing her worried thoughts.   
  
But all of a sudden, Kagome had steered her gaze to her feet, as if finding them rather interesting. She didn't say a word, but maintained her eyes to remain on her loafers and not wander over to the perplexed looking Sango.  
  
Sango, deciding to find out for herself, peeked forward and found a man with dark, curling locks around his pale, expressionless face. Apathy was written all over it, except for the one place that seemed to be alive - His cold eyes, blood red, narrow as slit but darting around as if seperated from it's body. They landed on the shocked looking girl staring at him. Sango gasped. "You- "  
  
"Yes," said the man with a small sneer. "Me."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Yvonne: Evil cliff-hanger? Possibly. I'll try to update as soon as I can. . . But this may be the last up date of the year, maybe not. I'm going on vacation soon, so expect the next chapter to be extra-late. Vampire-Elf, nice try. It WAS Kouga on the phone. . . And if anyone can guess who this "mysterious" man is. . .  
  
Bakhu: DUH. Send a review!  
  
Yvonne: Yes peoplez! [does a happy face] Merry Christmas Eve everyone! Now, I'm going to go listen to the carolers outside. . . They *could* use singing lessons. . . R&R!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Un-Internet Slang version of the chat between the members of _t0ky0z g@ng_:  
  
Kago Me Chan: Yeah, I'm thinking about it, but it's hard!   
  
inuyashaboi: You should think faster.  
  
Kago Me Chan: Well, SORRY! You try thinking for once!  
  
miroku SaMa: Hey, you two should keep it down.  
  
inuyashaboi: Hey, look, it's Sango!  
  
Kago Me Chan: Hi Sango! Come in and talk to us.  
  
miroku SaMa: Yeah, come on in.  
  
XsangoX: Hey you guys. Kag, Inu, you two shouldn't fight so much, being boyfriend and girlfriend. Sometimes it's very amusing.  
  
miroku SaMa: Yeah, Sango's got a point.  
  
inuyashaboi: WHAT?! I DO NOT fight with Kag!  
  
Kago Me Chan: So what if we're boyfriend and girlfriend? we can still fight! You're not being fair, Sango!  
  
miroku SaMa: You two should be on the same side. . .  
  
inuyashaboi: We ARE! . . . In a way.  
  
Kago Me Chan: We ARE! You're not being fair either, Miroku. You're just siding with Sango!  
  
inuyashaboi: Yeah, because she's you're girlfriend so you're siding with her. EVIL MIROKU!  
  
miroku SaMa: I'll side with whoever I want to, thank you very much!  
  
XsangoX: Hey you all, break it up!  
  
miroku SaMa: Well, finally you answered!  
  
Kago Me Chan: What's up, Sango?  
  
XsangoX: Nothing much. How are you all?  
  
inuyashaboi: In a fight, as you can see.  
  
XsangoX: Laugh out loud! Dur stupid, I know THAT.  
  
miroku SaMa: Sango, they were making fun of me!  
  
XsangoX: Yeah but I'm not going to do anything about it. You deal with it yourself.  
  
Kago Me Chan: Atta girl!   
  
inuyashaboi: Lets just get back to the case.  
  
miroku SaMa: You've got a good idea for 1once. . .  
  
XsangoX: Okay. . . So Kag, have you found out anything with the staircase?  
  
Kago Me Chan: Sorry, no, it's just way too hard.  
  
inuyashaboi: Aw, you mean you're giving up?  
  
Kago Me Chan: No, it just means it's very hard, stupid!  
  
inuyashaboi: Whatever.  
  
miroku SaMa: How about you, Sango?  
  
XsangoX: Ditto. We're both stuck in the mud. . .  
  
Kago Me Chan: Well at least we're trying, unlike Inu and Miroku. . .  
  
inuyashaboi: Hey, don't blame us if we're lazy!  
  
miroku SaMa: Hey, I'm not a good thinker!  
  
XsangoX: Yeah you are, you just don't know it.  
  
miroku SaMa: You know, that never occured to me. . .  
  
Kago Me Chan: Oops! Got to go everyone. Bye!  
  
inuyashaboi: Bye Kag.  
  
miroku SaMa: Okay then, bye!  
  
XsangoX: See you around, Kag. Bye. And I think I'm going too, so bye. 


End file.
